And They All Lived Happily Ever After?
by Lilly Winters
Summary: Why were villians bad? Bubbles was certain that there had to be more to someone then what everyone saw. And she's determined to find out the past of a villian that the Powerpuff Girls are always dealing with. But has she dug herself too deep this time?
1. Chapter 1

**A/N**

**After finishing up my other story, "He loves me, He loves me not," I couldn't resist writing another Powerpuff Girls story! This is mainly focused on Bubbles and Ace/the Gangreen Gang. She can't quite understand the meaning or reasoning behind a villain and is determined to find out. I hope you enjoy!**

**I do NOT own the Powerpuff Girls!**

"…and into the magical vase they hopped, barely escaping the monster. The evil lair crumbled to the ground, the group barely escaping.

"Nothing can defeat us so long as there is love!" the magical fairy proclaimed. The end!

Ah, bedtime stories. Surely to be sugar-coated with innocence and drops of heroism, it was guaranteed to peak the imagination and wandering thoughts of little children alike. Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup smiled as they listened to the Professor finish up the story. As he slid the book shut, Bubbles smiled. "And they all lived happily ever after?"

The Professor laughed and nodded. "Yes, Bubbles they all lived happily ever after."

She squealed and clapped her hands.

"Thanks for the story, Professor," Blossom said, yawning.

"Yeah," Buttercup agreed. "The hero was all bam! POW! Right in the kisser!" She punched at the air, reenacting the final battle.

He laughed. "Yes, it was pretty cool. Now you girls get some sleep so _you_ can be the heroes of _your_ story."

They nodded. A kiss goodnight, a switch of the ole' night light, and their restful night was off. Bubbles closed her eyes and with a smile, envisioned the heroism and bravery of the heroes from the story. Each thought skipping through her mind brought forth a different emotion: the idea of the hero created a beaming smile, the death of the main character's mother caused her to cry, and the cackling of the evil villain frightened her. But one thought stuck out. And it brought about confusion; total, complete confusion. Why did the villain become a bad guy in the first place? He had had a life given to him and yet, he squandered it on crimes and causing the misery of others. She couldn't understand, no, she couldn't _comprehend_ the thought of being bad. And so she went to bed with that thought.

Why were villains bad?

At Pokey Oaks, Blossom was flipping through the pages of an atlas, Buttercup was building a skyscraper out of blocks, and Bubbles was busy scrawling across a paper with crayons. The nasally beep and flash of the hotline called the Powerpuff Girls to duty.

"Yes, Mayor?" Blossom answered. "The mini-mart? We're on our way!"

They blasted through the roof, Miss Keen and the children cheering them on.

"So who are we dealing with this time?" Buttercup asked. "Whoever it is, I'm ready for!"

"It's the Gangreen Gang," Blossom said. "They're robbing the mini-mart on the corner of Maple and Broad Street. We'd better hurry. You girls ready?"

"Oh, I am ready, baby! Bring it on!" Buttercup whooped.

But Bubbles remained silent. Blossom and Buttercup hardly noticed as they crashed through the ceiling and landed behind the Gang.

"Not so fast, Gangreen Gang!" Buttercup and Blossom hollered.

"Well, well, welley, well," Ace chuckled, turning to face them, "if it isn't the Power_puke_ Girls!"

"Give it up, Ace!" Buttercup spat.

"Yeah," Blossom stepped forward. "You know how this ends: with you and your gang behind bars!"

"I think I'll take my chances," Ace glowered.

Bubbles watched as the Gang raced towards the Girls and immediately, the fists flew; Ace punched Buttercup, Blossom tackled Snake, Buttercup bit Big Billy, Lil Arturo used Grubber as a bat to whack Blossom.

She stared, blinking. _Why are people bad_? she wondered. _Why can't we all just get along?_

"There," Blossom panted and stepped back, admiring their work, "I think that looks pretty good. What do you think?" The Gang was hogtied to one another. They growled, hating the fact that they had been beaten.

"Hmm…something's missing," Buttercup said. She snatched some bandanas off of a nearby rack and stuffed them into their mouths. "That's more like it," she said, dusting her hands off. The two laughed and stepped outside, waiting for the police to show up. Bubbles remained, blinking as she stared curiously at the Gang. Ace muffled something, yet she could not understand him. She stepped forward timidly and, hesitantly, removed the cloth from his mouth. He spat and sneered up at her.

"What are you still doing here?" he snapped. "You've won. It'n that enough? You've got to rub it in too?"

She shook her head sadly.

"Then beat it, shrimp!"

She stepped back, but her wide eyes remained glued on them.

"Beat it, Bubbles!" he demanded.

She gasped and backed out of the door.

"What wasss that all about, bossss?" Snake hissed.

"I don't know," Ace said. "She's probably just messin' with our heads."

"Yeah, Bubbles," Buttercup said, overhearing the Gang's conversation. "What _was_ all that about?"

"I'm sorry," Bubbles mumbled. "I was just thinking." When they asked about what, she shrugged. "I guess I don't understand how people can be bad."

Blossom placed a hand on her shoulder. "Listen Bubbles, there's hot and there's cold, there's tall and there's short, and just like that, there is good but there is also evil. It's up to us to keep things safe around Townsville. Instead of questioning something you can never understand, try thinking of ways to better improve the city," she suggested.

Bubbles nodded meekly. The police arrived so they were free to return to their school. But as the Gangreen Gang was being loaded into the patrol car, Bubbles frowned and whispered, "I don't understand…"

**A/N**

**It was short, but I think that they were in-character.**

**Hmm…I wonder who the main villain of this story should be. I know, a little early to wonder, but I have used Him, Mojo, and Princess for the past few stories and I don't want to bore anyone with the same villains. Let me know who you guys want. Can't beat the readers opinion ;D**

**I hope you liked it! Chapter 2 shall be up soon!**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N**

**Sorry if this chapter is quick! I am in a rush tonight! Enjoy! **

It had been a busy day and Bubbles could not wait to go to bed. She usually remained focused on the positive, but after the ordeal and the conversation with the Gangreen Gang, she could not wait to just relax and enjoy a good bedtime story. Blossom and Buttercup giggled and played while Bubbles remained seated in the corner of the room, stroking Octi while deep in thought.

"Okay, girls!" the Professor said. "Time for bed."

"Oh man," Blossom and Buttercup complained.

"But first we have to read…" he sang, holding up a book.

"Yay!" they whooped, zipping into bed. Bubbles crawled in and pulled the blankets up to her neck, her eyes remaining down the entire time. Blossom and Buttercup hardly took notice as they giggled and settled down beneath the covers, but the Professor detected her unusual behavior right away.

"Everything okay, Bubbles?"

"Yeah," she sighed. "Just tired."

He frowned, but nodded and flipped the book open. A few minutes passed and he was nearing the end of the story. The plot of the story was a group of teenagers who had lost their parents in a fire when they were younger. Without anyone to show them right from wrong, they became villains and stole an enchanted ring from an old man. Little did they know, the old man was really a powerful wizard who had been given the duty to guard the jewel no matter what. The Girls listened with great interest, staring with wide eyes at the numerous battles and obstacles. It wasn't until the end, though, that Bubbles grew curious.

The ending told of the punishment for the unruly teenagers. When the wizard retrieved the gem, he imprisoned them within the stone walls of a cavern.

"And they say," the Professor said in a hush-hush voice, "that when you enter that very cave, you can still hear the hollers of the angered teenagers trapped within the stone walls."

Buttercup and Blossom shivered at the thought and giggled. But Bubbles frowned. "And they all lived happily ever after…" she asked lowly, hesitantly, "…right?"

He sighed. "Well, Bubbles, there isn't always a happy ending for everyone. But at least the wizard got his ring back."

"But that doesn't help those poor kids," she said.

"Life isn't a fairytale unfortunately. There are things we cannot explain in this world and sometimes, things don't turn out the way we expect them too." He petted her head reassuringly. "But when things don't turn out the way you had planned, it is usually because they will turn out even better!"

"But I don't get it, Professor," Bubbles said. "Those teenagers didn't know any better. Their parents died when they were young so they didn't have any guidance. Should they really be punished for something they didn't understand?"

"Well, I—"

"Should they?"

He stared at her, pitying the clueless innocence in her questioning eyes. "I don't really know," he admitted. "I guess it just depends on the point of view you look at it from."

"What do you mean?"

"Well like the old man from the story, he probably thought they were guilty so that is why he sealed them away in the cave. But if their parents were still alive, they probably would have thought that they deserved a second chance."

"But they never had anyone to stick up for them," she said sadly. "It just doesn't seem fair."

He kissed her forehead. "There are just some things in this world that we can't explain, sweetie. But don't worry about it, okay? Everything works itself out eventually." And he kissed the other two before standing, waving good night, and leaving the room, minding the door which remained open a crack for Bubbles. Her sisters fell asleep quickly, but she did not. She was thinking over what the Professor had said. Everything will work itself out eventually. _But isn't it our duty as heroes to do something about it ourselves?_ she thought to herself. She was plagued with that question, but she was satisfied to find that she may have found the answer to her other question: Why were villains bad?

Because they were lacking something essential for their innocence.

**A/N**

**Sorry if it was short, but I think it covers a pretty important part that explains Bubbles' confusion. Chapter 3 will be up shortly!**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N**

**This is a cute chapter. Bubbles and Ace really 'connect' in my opinion. Let me know what you think! Enjoy!**

Blossom and Buttercup glanced at each other questionably. Since that morning, Bubbles had been acting oddly. When they ate breakfast, she remained silent. On their way to school, she said nothing. And now that they were finally at Pokey Oaks, she had wandered off to her usual table to color, alone. Something was definitely up. She had been acting off all morning. No, actually she had been behaving differently for a few days. Ever since that occurrence with the Gangreen Gang. They walked over to her and waited for her to look up. "What?" she asked.

"Are you feeling okay?" Blossom began.

"Yeah, you've been acting weird lately," Buttercup said.

"I'm fine," she shrugged. She stared down at her sheet of paper and picked up a crayon, barely scraping the color onto the sheet of white. Blossom placed a hand on her shoulder and they sat beside her.

"You know you can tell us anything, Bubbles," Blossom said. "We won't look at you any differently."

"Yeah," Buttercup nodded. "You're our sister. We're here for you."

Bubbles sighed and placed the box of crayons down. "Do you think everyone deserves a second chance?"

Her sisters blinked in confusion, but Blossom smiled and shrugged. "I don't see why not. If they have good intentions, then sure."

"Really?" she squeaked excitedly.

"Yeah, I—" But Blossom was interrupted as the hot line buzzed. Answering it, she asked, "What is it, Mayor?"She listened to him before frowning. "But Mayor, we are in school…I know, but technically they haven't done anything yet…Yeah, okay. We'll be right down." She hung up and Buttercup immediately asked what was up. "He wants us to get down to the museum right away. Apparently there has been an ancient artifact imported recently and the Gangreen Gang has been reported in the area. It's very important that the artifact doesn't get stolen."

Buttercup crossed her arms. "The mayor came up with all of this on his own?"

"Actually it was Miss Bellum."

"I thought so," Buttercup said, Bubbles giggling behind her. "Let's go!"

They left Pokey Oaks and headed for the museum.

"So what's the artifact?" Buttercup wondered.

"The mayor said it was a key," Blossom replied.

"A key?"

"It goes to a small box and when that key activates it, the box gives the user an incredible amount of power. We have to make sure it doesn't fall into the wrong hands. I just hope they established a good amount of security."

Buttercup nodded, but Bubbles stared down at the ground, watching each building pass. "Do you really think it's fair to assume that they are going to do something?" she finally asked. "What if they just happen to be in the wrong place at the wrong time?"

"You can never be too careful," Blossom said.

"Besides," Buttercup frowned, "what does it matter? They've done stuff like this in the past. You can never trust a villain."

"What if they aren't really villains?"

Both Blossom and Buttercup stopped flying and paused. Looking back at her, Blossom raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"What if they just never got taught right from wrong? I mean, we don't know their past..." she said meekly, shriveling back uncomfortably.

They stared at her before Blossom shook her head. "It doesn't matter what happened in the past. What matters is what they are doing right now. And if they are robbing the museum then that makes them thieves and thieves are criminals. Now let's get going before we lose them."

Bubbles was not finished, but sighed and followed her sisters anyway.

Scanning the area, they peered around. At first, there was nothing. But Blossom pointed to the alley next to the museum and that was when they spotted the Gang. They landed and Blossom, with hands on hips, frowned. "Alright, what sort of evil tricks are you up to now?"

Ace perched his sunglasses on the end of his nose, glanced over, and sighed before saying, "You've got to be kidding me." He stood and shrugged. "We ain't up to nothin'. Is it against the law to stand here now?"

"Then would you mind telling us why you are right next to the museum?"

Ace peered back at the building as though he had not realized it was there. "We're waiting for someone," he mumbled.

"Who?"

"None of your business," he spat.

Buttercup jumped forward and jerked him down by the collar of his jacket. "Who?" she growled.

His head gestured behind them and they turned to find Grubber returning with a pizza box. "That answer your question?" he asked sarcastically.

Buttercup sneered, but Blossom held her back. "Okay you're off the hook this time, but we'll be watching closely." They were about to leave when something slipped out of Grubber's pizza box. It was a key; the key that had been imported to the museum. Ace's face fell before he smiled sheepishly. In no time, the Girls were attacking them.

Except for Bubbles.

She watched her sisters kick, punch, smack and whack them, cringing back each time. When they were finished, they grabbed the key and decided to take it back to the mayor to prepare a safer location for the artifact. The two blasted away towards Townsville Hall, but Bubbles remained. She watched in pity before slowly turning to walk away. Everyone in the Gang did not notice that she was there as they rubbed their throbbing heads. Except for Ace.

"Hey kid." She turned, her mouth hanging slightly open as she peered up at him. His eyebrows fell in anger, but before long, he seemed confused above all else. "Why didn't _you_ fight us?"

Instead of answering, she pulled her stuffed animal, Octi, from her pocket and said in a mumbled whisper, "Are you really a villain?"

He crossed his arms. "What do you think?" He was surprised when she shook her head no. "And what makes you think that? We steal, bully, and do bad things. What would you call that?"

"Someone without guidance," she replied meekly.

His face fell and he was clearly taken aback. He peered back at his gang who were still recovering from their wounds. He was not used to this. No one had ever stopped to ask or even consider why they did what they did. It…scared him. He didn't know why. Sure, the girl was strong but he wasn't afraid of her that way. He was scared by the fact that she was able to see through him so easily. Instead of showing his fear, though, he grew angry. Bending over, he stepped closer. "What are you up to?" he said accusingly.

She backed against the alley wall, clutching her stuffed animal fearfully. His hands rested on either side of her and she felt trapped. Of course, she was capable of embedding him into the pavement with one punch, but she starred up and shook her head. "I was just trying to talk."

"This isn't some trick for you and your sisters to laugh at?"

"No, why would they have left if it was?"

He thought for a moment and sighed, stepping back. "You better get out of here," he said. "It wouldn't be good for them to see you with me." He turned to walk away, but she grasped his arm.

"I don't mind."

He raised an eyebrow, but remained with his back turned.

"Um…Mr. Ace?"

He blinked at the name, yet glanced back curiously.

"W-Would you like to come over to my house? You can have dinner or watch TV or—"

"Whoa, whoa, kid," he said, calming her down with his hands, "I don't think that's such a good idea. You better go meet up with your sisters or they'll start to wonder."

She sighed, her shoulders slumping as she stared at the ground.

Ace shook his head. Why was she doing this to him? How was she doing this to him? He could care less for those little goody two shoes Powerpuff Girls. And yet here Bubbles was, carrying on a somewhat normal conversation with him. He just couldn't get it. His thoughts were interrupted as he felt something touch his hand. Staring down, he watched as Bubbles grasped his hand within hers. She placed Octi in his palm and closed his fingers around it. "Since you don't want to come to my house, use this." He was about to ask how a stuffed animal could help when she continued. "If you want to talk to me, just put Octi in the hole of that tree right over there." She pointed to a tree standing in the nearby park. "I'll check it every day, okay? And if I see him in there, I'll know you need to talk."

He stared at the toy before looking back at her. "And what if I don't want to talk? You know you may not see this doll again, right?"

Her eyes were sad, but she nodded. "I know. But you've got to take care of him, okay? He's really delicate."

He watched her in confusion. Octi was her security, it was what kept her safe at night. He knew that she did not like to be separated from it. The fact that she was giving it to him, even if it was temporary, was extraordinary. So he simply nodded and clutched it tightly, muttering, "Yeah, Bubbles. Yeah, I'll take care of it…"

**A/N**

**My favorite part of this was Bubbles' innocence. Especially considering that she knew that he was a bad guy and she still gave him a chance. And the way Ace reacted was priceless XD He couldn't be mean to her because she was so innocent ^-^**

**Chapter 3 will be up soon!**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N**

**Man I am tired today! But even still, the story must go on! –dramatic pose- XD I hope you like it! Enjoy ^-^**

Blossom and Buttercup were unaware of the conversation that had taken place between Bubbles and Ace. They had no clue that she had stayed behind to chat because they were busy dealing with the artifact. She had snuck into the Mayor's office in the middle of the discussion of the plans for the new location they were to hide the key in. Bubbles did not hear the new location, though she did not mind. All she was thinking of was Ace. Would she ever see Octi in the hole of that tree?

Her sisters watched her change from the silent Bubbles they had known for that week back to the girl that they knew so well: chipper, happy, and ever-positive. But something was still different about her. She was daydreaming. A lot. It was not uncommon to catch her staring out the window, whether it was in the car, at home, or at school. Her head was constantly in the clouds.

Ace was no different. The Gang noticed that he spent more time alone, either on the porch of their shack in the city dump or in the spare room, staring out the only window of the structure. He rolled Octi between his hands, tossing it back and forth while deep in thought. Whenever one of the members happened to come in, he would quietly sneak it back into the safety of his pockets. It wasn't until they picked up details over the course of a week that they noticed a dramatic change in his character.

The seventh day had been the final straw. Above all else, this was an immediate red flag for the Gang. They had ordered pizza and the evening went a little like this: Big Billy complained about being hungry over and over, much to the annoyance of Snake and Lil Arturo. Grubber was too busy staring at a wall and blowing raspberries. So they ordered pizza and within a few minutes, there was a knock on the door. From his room Ace could hear them beat the delivery boy up, stealing his money and hijacking the other pizzas in his car. They laughed madly as they watched him run away, crying, and hopped into Ace's room.

"Want ssssome pizza, Acccce?" Snake hissed, melted cheese dripping from his grin.

"Yeah, we pummeled that teenager for all he had!" Lil Arturo chortled, laughing at the expense of the delivery boy.

"Nah, I'm not hungry," Ace said.

All of the members paused and stared at their leader briefly before breaking into fits of laughter. Surely he was joking. At least, they thought he was. But when he remained silent, they stopped laughing and scratched their heads questionably. "Uh…not hungry?" Big Billy droned.

"But it'ssss pizza!" Snake said.

"You never pass up on pizza!" Lil Arturo shouted.

"Well I am now!" Ace said, spinning around to face them. "Now beat it! I want to be alone." He rested his head in his hand, sighing.

The members blinked in confusion, but decided to leave him be. He heard the shagged door squeak shut and pulled the stuffed animal from his pocket. Glaring at it, he sneered. "Why'd that kid go and do all that? I was better off not worrin' about this!" He threw Octi at the wall and watched it bounce off, landing on the ground with a hollow thud.

Crossing his arms, he breathed heavily and shook his head. But after a moment, he stooped over and reached for the toy. His fingers dusted it off and wrapped protectively around it. He thought of what she had said. Take care of the toy. So he let his hand fall limply to his side as he thought of the entire conversation, what had brought him to have the octopus in his possession in the first place. She had invited him to her house. _Him_, the leader of the Gangreen Gang.

"No one's ever given me a chance before," he said to the toy. "Why now? You'd think being one of them Powerpuff Girls, she'd hate me the most. But…" he sighed. "What can she see in me that no one else does?" The doll held no reply and simply stared up at him with glazed eyes. He sat in the chair and crossed his legs, holding Octi by one of his many legs. He dangled it back and forth and found the motion soothing. Resting his head back, he stared out the window up at the stars. "I have to say," he mumbled, "you really threw me for a loop this time, kid."

At home, Bubbles was the exact opposite of Ace. She was, well, bubbly. Instead of being stressed about it, she was overjoyed. Sure she was thinking about their conversation over and over again, but not exactly like Ace had been doing. She was thinking of it with excitement, not worry. She sat in front of the vanity that was in their room and hummed as she stroked a brush through her hair. Buttercup and Blossom watched with close curiosity.

"What do you think is going on with her?" Buttercup whispered.

"I don't know," Blossom shrugged. "I don't think I've ever seen her this way before."

"Yeah, the only time she's acted like this was when she had a crush on David Miller in the first grade."

Blossom's mouth fell and she stared at Bubbles. Buttercup raised an eyebrow as she watched her walk over to the vanity.

"So Bubbles…" Blossom began. "How's everything been lately?"

"As perfect as always," Bubbles chirped. "How have you been?"

"Oh, I'm good." She sat next to her on the ground. "So-oo I've noticed you've been happier lately." She leaned against her and wrapped an arm around her. "Anything new show up?"

"Not really," Bubbles said.

"Meet anyone lately?" Buttercup asked. She, too, sat next to her. Bubbles glanced from one sister to the other.

"Actually," she smiled. "I did."

Buttercup leaned forward. "Really? Who?"

"Is it a boy?" Blossom asked.

She did not want to let the cat out of the bag yet, but she knew her sisters would not let it go easily. She had to tell them something and she was going to, but not everything. At least not yet.

Bubbles nodded and Blossom squealed with joy. Buttercup watched as Blossom swooped Bubbles off the seat and swung her hands back and forth, laughing. "Bubbles is in love! Bubbles in love!" she sang.

Bubbles giggled and scooted out of her grip. "It's not like that," she smiled. "We're just friends."

"Right," Buttercup said sarcastically, patting her on the shoulder. "So who is it?"

"Have we met him before?" Blossom persisted.

Bubbles frowned, stuttering. "Um…S-Sort of…"

She didn't want to tell them it was Ace. She knew they weren't ready yet. If they figured out who it was now, it could ruin everything. She wanted to give Ace the chance that she knew nobody else had given him. And for once, this was something she had to do on her own. Her sisters wouldn't be there to help her through this one; she was in it alone. And if she was not careful, she would make them hate Ace even further and possibly, even turn them against her. So instead of answering, she shrugged and smiled. "You'll meet him soon…" _If he even shows up_, she reminded herself. So she added with a sigh, "I hope…"

**A/N**

**I thought it was pretty cute ^-^ You are going to love the next chapter –wink, wink, nudge, nudge- I know they are kind of random, but I think Ace and Bubbles are sort of cute together. Don't kill me! XD**

**Chapter 5 will be up soon!**


	5. Chapter 5

"Um…"

Ace paced, the soles of his shoes becoming hot in the June air.

He didn't know what to do, and yet it was so simple. With Octi in his hands, he stared at the hole inside the tree; the very tree that Bubbles had spoken of. There it was, waiting for him. What was he to do? Well, it was quite simple, actually. Place the purple octopus into the hole of the tree and then return home. That's it. The toy would send a silent message to Bubbles, telling her that he had accepted her invitation to talk. Then, he assumed, she would meet him at the shack and so on and so forth.

But if it was so simple, then why did it seem so hard?

Because he was full of pride. Though it was hard for him to admit it even to himself, he knew that was the main problem. He never needed anyone before and he was still trying to convince himself that he didn't need Bubbles now. So why was he even doing this in the first place? Was he trying to determine if she was for real, if she was serious about everything she had said? Or was he just testing her and getting a kick out of the thought of proving her wrong, that she was just like everyone else and wasn't really ready to give him a chance?

A part of him wanted her to be serious while the other part wanted her to be lying. You may wonder why he would want her to lie about such a thing. Maybe it was because he didn't want to get his hopes up all for them to fall apart once again. He had gone through this before: someone came along, usually an adult, thinking that they could talk some sense into this unruly teenager. They thought that they could be different from all the others and change his immature ways. But it always ended the exact same way: with them abandoning him. And so, with the sneer of a glare and the wave of a hand, he pushed them behind him and usually got even worse. He was somewhat of a rebel in the beginning, then an adult would show up to teach him the ropes of life but after they failed, he took out the pain and anger on the citizens of Townsville by robbing the convenient store on the corner or picking on the little kid next door. It was a never-ending cycle.

And then Bubbles stepped into the circle and stopped everything.

It threw him for a loop. He just couldn't understand, he could not _comprehend_ her innocence. He knew she was known as the sweet one out of the three Powerpuff Girls, but could she really be that forgiving? They had done some pretty bad things to each other yet here he was, holding her favorite toy.

With a sigh, he peered over his shoulder and quietly snuck the octopus into the hole. He had hoped to walk casually away from it all but that did not happen. He was only a few feet away when he heard a giggle. Freezing where he was, his mind raced. _It can't be…_

He turned.

It was.

Bubbles had already retrieved the toy and was holding it tightly as a beaming smile crossed her face, reflecting the sun. He could tell that she had missed the toy when he watched the eyes of the toy bulge out from the strength of her embrace. Glancing up at her, he found himself at a loss for words. And it was evident to them both when he began to stutter and trip over his words. "Uh...Bubbles…I…I-I didn't expect to see…What are you doing here?" _What is wrong with me?_ he wondered. It was just Bubbles. But when she giggled again, he immediately pushed the sunglasses back so as to hide his eyes.

"I promised that I would check the tree every day," she said, "right?" She floated towards him and he backed away on instinct. "You really want to hang out?" she squeaked excitedly.

He looked at the ground. "Just tell me this: are you serious?"

She blinked, tilting her head curiously. "What do you mean?"

He stepped forward and his eyebrows fell. "Tell me if you are just going to waste my time like everyone else," he snapped. "If you are just going to act like my friend and act like you're there for me before dumping me off—"

"I'll never do that," she shook her head.

His face fell and he frowned, relaxing a little. She could still see his hands clenched into fists and saw the stiff arch of his back; a fighting stance. He was used to fighting, this much she knew for sure. She, too, frowned and grabbed his hand. He stared up at her and was at a loss for words when she said, "I promise."

All around him, he could see mothers walking away in a hurry with their children safe in their arms. People avoided eye contact with the infamous Gangreen Gang leader. He stared at the ground, occasionally striking the random citizen with his icy glare. Bubbles paid no mind to the people and would simply grab his face so that he was forced to look at her. Her touch was so delicate, so motherly. It felt…nice. He gave up trying to move out of her grip because each time, she would return. So with a sigh, he finally gave in.

"Would you like to come over to my house for dinner?" she asked, her eyes dancing.

"I don't think that's such a good idea," he said, shaking his head.

"I'll handle everything!" she chirped. "You can even bring your friends!"

"You want me to bring the gang?"

"Whatever makes you comfortable."

"What about your sisters?"

"I'll take care of everything and _everyone_," she said, folding her hands behind her back.

He shrugged. "I guess I could come over for a little…"

She smiled and handed him a slip of paper with numbers scribbled across. It said six o'clock. "You can come over at six o'clock tonight. Dinner will be at six thirty." She blasted away, shouting behind her, "see you then!"

He watched her leave and looked back down at the paper. She had been planning this for a while, that was obvious. But what he still didn't get was what had made her do all of this in the first place?

"I guess I'll find out tonight at six o'clock," he said, turning around to return to the shack.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N**

**Chapter 6 is here!**

Six o'clock was approaching, fast. He found, much to his surprise, that he was nervous. And he was actually anticipating the evening. He wasn't sure if it was because he was not used to attending anything he wasn't planning on crashing or because he was dying to see where Bubbles was headed with all of this. Or was he secretly enjoying the fact that someone had invited him to something for once? That someone had chosen him above many other possible selections? The possibilities were limitless.

When he arrived at the shack, he decided it was probably a good idea to tell the gang what exactly was going on and what was going to be happening. They listened closely, staring at their leader as though he had gone mad. But when he finished, they nodded excitedly and ran off to get ready for the dinner. Ace shrugged and stepped in front of a mirror, dragging a comb through his hair. He fluffed his jacket out and straightened his jeans over his boots. That was it. He was done getting ready. Though there was very little preparation involved, he really had no other choice due to the fact that he didn't have "classy" clothing. So they could either accept or reject his appearance and him.

"I'll leave that up to you, kid," he mumbled to himself, straightening his sunglasses. "Yo, you guys! Come on! It's time to go!"

One by one, each member showed up. Lil Arturo tapped Ace. "How do I look, Ace?" he asked, gesturing to his freshly combed hair. Ace gave him a nonchalant thumbs up and hurried the others along who were still straightening their clothes and polishing their hair. "You guys, it's just dinner," Ace said

"But it'ssss at the Powerpuff Girlssss' housssse," Snake muttered, a quiver in his voice.

"We ain't going there to get our butts kicked," Ace shrugged. "Let's just have fun." They left the shack and began their walk to the Girls' house. The entire trip Ace had his hands shoved deeply into his pockets, thinking over what was about to happen. Was Bubbles' sisters going to be a problem? Bubbles had promised that she would take care of everyone and everything. He only hoped that she could keep up to her promise. It wouldn't be her fault if she turned her back, giving her sisters just the amount of time they needed to pummel the Gang.

He shook the worry off. _We're just going to go over for dinner, probably argue with Blossom and Buttercup while Bubbles settles everyone down, and leave. That's it,_ he reminded himself. _Plain and simple._

Bubbles sat in front of the vanity with a brush running through her hair. Blossom hummed as she added some hair spray and bows to her sister's hair. Buttercup sorted through their dresser to find an outfit for Bubbles.

"Thanks for helping me get ready for tonight," Bubbles said.

"No problem," Blossom smiled. "Anything that will bring us closer to meeting the mystery man!"

Bubbles blushed and shook her head. "It's not like that. He's just a friend I'm helping out."

"Yeah, and Buttercup is always in a good mood," Blossom said sarcastically.

"Hey!" Buttercup said defensively. But she shrugged, "Blossom is right. I've never seen you act like this over some guy. He must be something special."

Bubbles simply smiled and returned to the mirror. It wasn't that she was trying to impress a boy in that way; she was trying to make sure that everything was perfect so that Ace had a better chance of being accepted by Blossom and Buttercup. If only they knew.

The Professor probably wouldn't be a problem. He would be hesitant at first but so long as Bubbles reassured him, he would back her up completely. He had faith in his daughters' decisions and she had never before appreciated that as much as she did tonight.

Still, her sisters would pose as a problem.

_I guess we'll see how it all turns out soon enough_, Bubbles thought to herself as she gazed at the clock. It was nearly six o'clock already and she was nervous. Blossom noticed that she began squirming uncomfortably in her seat.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

"Yeah," Bubbles nodded. "I'm just nervous."

"Love is a many splendored thing!" Buttercup sang tauntingly. (A/N: This is an old song in case you didn't know.) Bubbles crossed her arms. Buttercup swooped Octi up and began talking like Bubbles, kissing all over the toy.

"Buttercup," Blossom scolded. "Stop it. You'll make Bubbles uncomfortable."

Bubbles held her burning face and whimpered, "Already done that…"

Buttercup peered out the window and saw shadows approaching from over the hill, though she could not quite make out just who it was. "Well she better hurry up and get over her shyness," she said, "'cause your little boyfriend is here. Wait a minute…" she squinted into the darkness. "Are there five people?"

"He's bringing some of his friends over," Bubbles said, laughing nervously. "I thought it would make him more comfortable since he's uh…meeting you for the first time!" She rubbed her arm as she smiled timidly. Surely her sisters wouldn't buy that weak excuse.

Buttercup and Blossom stared at her suspiciously, but shrugged it off. Blossom grabbed Bubbles' hand. "We can't keep him waiting! Let's go!"

"Um, I'll be right down," Bubbles said. "I just have to finish getting ready. I'll only be a minute." They nodded and left her in the room alone. She silently closed the door and peered out the window.

They were almost at the door.

"Maybe I shouldn't have done this," she said. It could all turn out to be a disaster for all she knew. But she shook her head. "No, I was supposed to do this. Nobody else would give them a chance so I have to be the first. I'm going to learn why they are the way they are and I'm going to help them out." She picked up one of her favorite bedtime stories and held it close to her. Flipping through the pages loosely, she whispered, "I'm going to give them _their_ happily ever after…"

**A/N**

**Uh oh… Looks like Blossom and Buttercup are going to find out just who this mystery man is XD An awkward dinner is surely headed their way! Chapter 7 will be up soon! **


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N**

**Sorry about the delay! I was watching a movie with my family last night ^-^ here is part one of the dinner. Enjoy!**

**update: I meant to upload this lol apparentally i forgot! So to make it up to you, I have uploaded 3 chapters :D!**

Bubbles snuck down the steps just before the Gangreen Gang reached the door. She stepped into the kitchen where the Professor was busy preparing dinner. "Um, Professor?"

"Ah, Bubbles. Just the person I was looking for," he smiled. "Will your friend be here soon?"

"Friends, actually. He's bringing some of his friends so that he's more comfortable. H-He's really nervous about meeting my family." She laughed nervously and he eyed her. Holding both of his oven mitts in one hand, he faced her.

"Is everything all right Bubbles?"

She stopped laughing and frowned. "No, Professor. It's not."

"But why? I thought you would be excited for tonight?"

"I am. I can't wait for my friends to come over, but well…you see…my friends are the problem."

"Whatever do you mean?"

She folded her hands behind her back and scuffed the ground with her shoe shyly, refusing to look him in the eyes as she explained. "I don't know if you'll like our company." When he asked her why, she paused an instead of answering, changed the subject. "Do you believe everyone deserves a second chance?"

"Of course!"

"No matter what they've done in the past?"

"I don't see why not. You don't judge a person on what they've done in the past; the present is what matters."

"But what if—"

"Bubbles," he placed a hand on her shoulder, "I trust your judgment. Whoever you invited over for dinner tonight, I know you have your reasons."

She nodded and stared at the ground. Her throat tightened as she muttered, "I-I invited the Gangreen Gang over for dinner, Professor…"

His eyes widened and she could tell that he had not been expecting that. His shock only caused her to shrivel back even further, so he remained calm and took a deep breath. "The Gangreen Gang, huh?" he said slowly.

"I know they've done some bad things in their past, but don't they deserve a chance? We don't know them and we don't know what made them this way, so why can't we give them a chance like no one else has?" He frowned and stared into her pleading eyes. "Please, Professor," she whispered. "Trust me on this."

Even if it turned out to be a bad idea, she was right. Somebody had to fight for them, someone had to take that first step forward into moving them in the right direction, and that someone was Bubbles. He couldn't think of anyone with a kinder heart, anyone better for the job. So he nodded and said, "Okay, Bubbles. You have my support. Whatever you decide, I'll be there to back you up one hundred percent, even if it does seem irrational at the time." She hugged him as smiled a thank you, but soon there was a knock at the door. "You're guests have arrived," he winked.

As she turned to leave, Blossom came in.

"So Professor," Blossom said to her dad as she floated into the kitchen, "what do you think of tonight? Are you excited?"

He knew that Bubbles' sisters would not be so supportive of the idea, at least not at first. So he simply nodded. "Um…yeah. I think it will definitely be a night to remember."

She giggled and flew to Buttercup who stood waiting by the door. Bubbles gulped and her hand trembled all the way up to the doorknob. She opened it a crack, took a deep breath, and then pulled it all the back. The smile disappeared from Blossom and Buttercup's face immediately. Just like Bubbles had expected, there stood Ace and the rest of the gang, casually waving their greetings. Bubbles heard her sisters gasp.

"You!" they shouted.

Buttercup charged over and ripped Ace down by his collar. "What do you think you're doing here?"

"Yeah," Blossom said, "this is a very special night for Bubbles and you are not going to ruin it! Her guests will be here any minute."

"Girls, girls, wait!" Bubbles cried. "They _are_ my guests!"

They faced her, mouths agape. "What?" they breathed.

"I invited the Gangreen Gang over to dinner," she said, removing Buttercup's hands from Ace's collar.

"I don't understand," Blossom stuttered. "Why? They're our enemy!"

"Well tonight they are our guests," the Professor said, walking into the living room . "And we will treat them as such," he said with a warning glance at Buttercup and Blossom. They stepped back and Bubbles waved for the Gang to come in. Everyone took a seat in the living room, except for the Professor who was busy preparing food in the kitchen. It was certainly an odd sight. The couch went a little like this: Buttercup and Blossom who had their arms crossed, Bubbles who was smiling, Ace who was peering doubtfully and curiously down at Bubbles, and the rest of the Gang who occasionally squirmed in their seats.

Bubbles crossed her legs and cleared her throat. Ace drummed his fingers against the coffee table. Buttercup and Blossom continued to stare them down.

"So…" Ace hummed. "That weather sure is something, huh?" he laughed casually.

"Yeah," Bubbles nodded. "It looks like it's going to rain. What do you guys think?" She faced her sisters.

"Who knows?" Buttercup said.

"Yeah, the weather sure is unpredictable. Always causing trouble and mischief." Blossom said, leaning closer to the Gang. "You can never trust it."

Ace shrugged and propped his feet on the table. "At least the weather knows when to have some fun."

"Maybe it should realize that it needs to stop and actually grow up," Buttercup growled.

"Or maybe the goody two shoes of this world should mind their own business and let a little rain come once in a while," Ace snapped.

"Guys!" Bubbles said. "Please, can't we just all get along?" But her sisters would not budge. Ace straightened his jacket and stood.

"It just got a little stuffy in here," he said. "Want to take a walk?" He held his hand out to Bubbles. She glanced back at Buttercup and Blossom who immediately shook their heads. Instead of listening, though, she accepted the invitation.

"Hold on a second," she said, stepping into the kitchen with Ace behind her. "Professor?" He smiled at her and she lowered her voice. "We're going to take a walk. Could you make sure they don't fight?" She gestured back to the Girls and the Gang. He nodded. They were about to leave, but Ace remained in the kitchen.

"Uh… sir?" he muttered. The Professor was surprised, but listened anyway. "Uh..Thanks for inviting us over." He glanced around the house. "This is a nice place you got here." The Professor smiled and when the pair tuned to leave, Bubbles caught him winking an approval at her.

**A/N**

**Wow, you can almost feel the awkward feeling when the Gang arrived XD I hope you liked it and chapter 8 will be up soon!**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N**

**This is my favorite chapter! It has a lot of fluff XD I know one of my reviewers is a BACE (Bubbles x Ace) shipper, so they will definitely squeal at this chapter ^-^ Enjoy**

They were out the door in a flash and began their walk on the empty streets of Townsville. A whip of wind thrashed about, causing Bubbles to shiver. Ace peered down at her as he removed his jacket and wrapped it around her tiny shoulders. She smiled. "You seem different tonight. But you're doing great." He shrugged it off. "Why the sudden change?"

"You're giving it your all for me, so I figured I should at least try."

"Sorry about my sisters."

"There's always going to be someone who doesn't approve," he smirked.

Their shadows danced across the sidewalks as they made their way to the park. They walked in silence, only the faint melody of the wind filling the air. "Why me?"

She glanced up at him. "Huh?"

"Why did you choose me? There are so many other bad guys out there. Why me?"

"Because you have a heart," she smiled. "You may not always let it show, but there is goodness in you."

"How do ya figure that?"

"You were the only reason we defeated Sedusa," she pointed out. "Without you guys, Townsville would have fallen that night." (**A/N**: If you are not sure what she is talking about in season 6 episode 8, Sedusa used the Gangreen Gang to collect artifacts that would make her powerful. She promised them a reward if they complied. But when they gave her the items, she lied and told them that she was only using them. So they told the Powerpuff Girls how to defeat her. Pretty good episode actually, one of my favorites )

"You guys would have figured somethin' out," he said. "You always do."

The park had long been abandoned, children once there long gone as they nestled into their homes. The large fountain standing proud at the center sprayed water into the air, lights at the base changing the mist from a blue color to red to green.

Bubbles leaned over the concrete edge, staring with wide eyes at the ducks that swayed in the current. Ace kept peering down at her fearfully. She was quite close to the edge and was close to falling in, but she paid no mind as she leaned closer to stroke the small birds. Ace tucked his hands around her waist, receiving a giggle from the small girl. The extra help allowed her to finally reach the ducks which quacked in surprise. They both laughed and continued their walk.

They made their way to the playground. The swing set seats swayed on the ghost of a breeze, faint laughter echoing throughout the trees. The stars twinkled brightly above, cars traveled down the dark streets, but as soon as they got to the center of the playground, everything fell silent. Ace felt uncertain, yet continued down their intended path with hands stuffed protectively into his pockets.

"I've never been to the park at night before." She gazed around at the splendor. "It's beautiful."

"Really? Me and the Gang come here all the time to hide from the cops when—" He stopped and looked away. She stared up at him and noticed the silence.

"You know, we all have our regrets." She stepped up onto the balance beam, her arms outstretched to the sides. When she arrived at the end, her hand fell into his as he slowly helped her step down.

"Some more than others," he frowned.

"Why did you do it?" Her eyes searched his surprised face. He sighed and shook his head.

"You got a mom?" he asked.

She shook her head. "The Professor created us in his lab. He was our only parent."

"I don't have a mom or a dad." He laughed bitterly, taking a seat on the swing sets. "I haven't since I was four." He scraped at the mulch loosely with his boot. "My dad was a drunk, always abandoning the family for days on end. Finally, my mom got sick of it and left to go look for him. She never came back."

"What happened to her?"

He shrugged. "Who knows. Maybe he did something, maybe she ran off too, I don't know. Sometimes I wonder if not knowing is worse than knowing what happened to her." He pushed his sunglasses up closer to his eyes and leaned on his knees, staring at the ground. "After that, I had no one. So to survive, I had to steal food. It seemed wrong at first because my mom used to always say "don't grow up to be like your father." But I got so used to it that it almost seemed…wrong not to steal. Eventually I got worse. I wasn't just stealing to survive anymore. I was doing it just for the thrill of it. Pretty soon, I met up with the Gang who were just a couple of orphans too. I don't know, I guess you could say _that_ was our family. After all, we sure didn't have anyone else." His voice cracked and he kicked the ground, sending shards of mulch everywhere."

She sat next to him to which he immediately stiffened. She put a hand on his shoulder. "I knew there was more to you than everyone else saw." He glanced up at her and she held his face up to hers.

He tried to laugh, but it came in a hoarse whisper. He was ashamed that she was seeing him this way.

"It's okay to cry," she said soothingly.

"You know," he sniffled, wiping away the tears, "I never thought I'd see this day." When she asked him what he meant, he held her hand in his. "You really are different. You saw something that no one else saw. I guess what I'm trying to say is…" he shifted in his seat so that he was looking at her and smiled. "Thanks for saving me."

She smiled lightly, but shook her head as she tried to grip her fleeting thoughts."All this time, we've been fighting each other," she said, "when all along, we needed to save each other." Stroking away the silent tears that dripped down his face, she whispered, "You never got your happily ever after. It's time you write your own story instead of letting others judge you. They don't know you and they never will until they stop and take the time to listen. Because to me, you're not the villain." She lightly kissed his forehead and smiled. "You're the hero."

**A/N**

**Hehe, I thought it was pretty sweet ^-^ I just love how Bubbles can see the good in everyone. She's so innocent and cute XD**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N**

…

Bubbles decided that it was time to go home in fear of missing dinner. So they made their way to the familiar white house and returned to find the Gang watching cartoons, Buttercup and Blossom adorning the table with plates and silverware. Ace stepped over to the members while Bubbles snuck into the kitchen. She whispered to her sisters and the three went into the hallway.

"Are you okay?" Blossom asked. "He didn't try anything funny, did he?"

"Of course not," she smiled. "He's my friend." But her smile faded. "I know you guys don't like the Gangreen Gang—"

"We just want to protect you, Bubbles," Blossom said, placing a hand on her shoulder. "We don't want you getting hurt."

"I know and I won't, but there's something you need to know. They aren't just meaningless villains that do this stuff just to be bad." And she explained everything to them. Throughout it all, she watched Blossom and Buttercup's face change with each emotion. At first, they were uncertain, refusing to budge. But as the explanation progressed, they began to understand. "Now maybe you understand? I know it's hard to trust them after all that we've been through, but you've got to give them a chance. I don't think they really are evil."

Buttercup folded her arms. "What if this is all just a trick? Then they'll get us when we least expect it and we won' have anyone to blame but ourselves."

"Maybe Bubbles is right…"

Both Bubbles and Buttercup faced Blossom, baffled. "What?" they said.

"We didn't stop to find out why they turned out this way and Bubbles has been right so far, so maybe we should give them a chance."

Bubbles giggled and wrapped her arms around her sisters. The Professor signaled that it was time for dinner and everyone met up at the table. Ace sat next to Bubbles who raced off to grab a booster seat for Lil' Arturo. Buttercup and Blossom sat on either side of the Professor. Big Billy, Grubber, and Snake were on the opposite side of Ace.

It certainly was a sight.

The conversations started small, but slowly progressed. Soon everyone was even laughing. As Bubbles gazed around the table, she couldn't help but to smile. Maybe it was going to turn out all right after all. She was in the middle of a story when a clap of thunder caused her to squeak and jump.

"Looks like that storm has finally arrived," the Professor said as he peaked out the window.

Everything was going smoothly. Bubbles couldn't have been happier. But slowly, it began to fall apart. It started with a slip of words. Blossom had brought up Father's Day which was approaching quickly. They discussed what they had planned for the day from a barbeque to a trip to the park to a movie at the movie theaters. Bubbles tried to move the conversation in a different direction because what she had feared was coming to surface. Ace became increasingly uncomfortably as he shifted in his seat and nudged a carrot around his plate with his fork. Bubbles cleared her throat to send a silent signal to her sisters, but they did not notice.

"So do you have any plans for Father's Day?" Blossom asked Ace absentmindedly.

"Uh..No, I-I don't," was his muttered reply.

"Everyone's got to celebrate Father's Day," she smiled. "How else can you show that you appreciate your dad—" And then she remembered. She covered her mouth in embarrassment. "Oh, I'm sorry. I forgot about your um…"

Ace glanced up at her and squinted questionably. "How did you know about that?" he asked.

Blossom frowned and peered down at the table. Bubbles shook her head, but Buttercup shrugged. "The past is the past, it's no big deal. Just move on." Her words came out wrong. She was trying to say that what the Gangreen Gang had done in the past didn't matter for she had not been listening to the full conversation, but both Bubbles and Ace had taken it that she was saying that his father's absence was not of importance.

"Buttercup," Bubbles whispered.

"It isn't a big deal if your dad is actually there to wait on you hand and foot," Ace spat. "But you wouldn't know, would you?"

"I'm sure she didn't mean it that way," Bubbles said. "Right, Buttercup?"

"Who says I have the Professor wait on me hand and foot?" Buttercup growled. "I can fend for myself you know."

The argument grew with Bubbles trying to calm everyone down while the Professor offered more food in an attempt to distract Buttercup and Ace. The offer went unheard though. Blossom mouthed an apology to Bubbles who frowned. "This is a disaster," she whispered.

And that was when Buttercup lost her temper. Her fists balled and she shouted, "Just because you didn't have parents growing up doesn't mean that everyone is going to buy your sob story and feel bad for you!" Both Bubbles and Blossom tried to quiet her, but it was no use. "You may think that everyone feels bad for you and excuses what you've done, but we don't. You're a criminal and you always will be!"

Finally, the room was silent. Blossom shook her head and glanced at the Professor who remained wide-eyed at the outburst. Bubbles reached for Ace. He jerked his chair back and stood.

"I'm outta here," he muttered.

"Ace, wait!" Bubbles said, following him outside. Right as the door slammed shut behind her, a clap of thunder cracked above her. She jumped and stared fearfully up at the sky. She had always hated thunderstorms. They frightened her beyond belief. But as she saw Ace making his way down the street, she ignored her fear and pushed through the storm. Grabbing hold of his arm, she tugged him back to her. "She didn't mean it," she said quickly. "Buttercup just gets mad and says stuff she doesn't mean. You have to get used to her temper and—"

"That's not the point!" he yelled above the storm. "This is what everyone is like. They don't care about what happened. All they see is the bad guy I am now."

"You're not a villain, Ace." She tried to smile. "You really aren't."

"Oh yeah?" He shot a finger towards Townsville. "Tell that to them." He stomped away, his boots sloshing rain up into the air.

"Don't leave," she called after him, trying to follow through the curtain of rain. "Just because it didn't work out there doesn't mean you and I can't still stay together."

He spun around, his eyes mere slits as they stared down at her. "You told them. You told them everything."

She shook her head, stuttering. "I…I was trying to help…"

He waved at her house and gritted his teeth."It only helped them use my past against me!"

"Ace…"

"I thought you were different, Bubbles," he hissed. "I thought you were going to give me a chance, but all you did was lead me into a trap. I don't know why I thought it was going to be different this time because it always ends up blowing up in my face. I deal with you guys enough everyday so why can't you just leave me alone?"

Her lower lip trembled. Her soppy hair clung to her face as it dripped down her cheeks along with the tears. Her eyes fell to the ground in a distant, vague blur of staring. When she tried to speak, it hurt within. The best she could do was to mutter his name.

"You know what?" He laughed and turned away, walking back to the shack. "I don't need this. Tell the Gang to meet me at the shack. I'm going home…"

She squinted and stepped forward. "What about what you said? We said we saved each other, that all of that fighting was useless." She blinked back the tears. "It _was_ pointless, wasn't it?"

He stared over his shoulder and all was silent. The rain seemed to come down slower; everything, including time, froze. It came whirling back to her when he shook his head and continued walking into the distance, his silhouette disappearing in the rain.

Her heart ached. Her body trembled. But this time, Ace wasn't there to offer her his jacket.

**A/N**

**I know you all probably hate me, especially since the previous chapter was so sweet but everyone fights, right? And think of it this way: the makeup will be that much cuter ^-^.**

**At least I wrote 2 chapters in one day. Don't hate me lol!**


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N**

**This is a bittersweet chapter. It's sad, but I think it is sweet in its own way. I was actually very glad with the way the descriptive words worked out here! Enjoy!**

When Blossom and Buttercup went outside in search of Bubbles, they did not have to go far for she was standing in the middle of the street running straight in front of their house.

"Bubbles!" Blossom cried, grabbing her hand and pulling her to the sidewalk just in time to miss an oncoming truck. Bubbles hardly noticed as she remained staring, a distant look in her eyes. Blossom waved a hand in front of her. "What happened? Where's Ace?"

It was hard for her to talk, hard for her to even think but as her sisters called her name over and over, she opened her mouth only to find a faint whisper of what her voice had once been. "Ace…" Her voice tripped. She cleared her throat and tried again. "Ace...is gone…He…he left." From her dress, she pulled out the bedtime story that had encouraged it all.

"Bubbles," Buttercup frowned, "I didn't mean to say that. I was just angry. I shouldn't have—"

"It doesn't matter now," she said, walking away. "He's gone. I only had one chance and I blew it. I should have never invited him over. I should have never even tried. It was foolish of me to think that life could be a fairytale." She shrugged loosely. "At least I found out one thing from tonight." The tears in her eyes glistened in the moonlight and mingled with the raindrops falling all around. She closed her eyes, walking silently as she whispered, "You don't always get a happily ever after…"

"Bubbles!" Buttercup tried to go after her, but Blossom pulled her back.

"Buttercup, wait. I think she needs to be alone," she said.

They both frowned and watched as their sister disappeared from sight. It was hard to let her go, completely alone in the solitude of the shadows hiding the city. But they knew that she would not accept their company at the moment. Though she would fake her happiness with a lying smile, they could read her better than that. Bubbles refused to let on to the fact that she was sad and always put forth a façade of bliss, even if she was falling apart within.

And of course, she was capable of fending for herself. While she was the most innocent of the group, she was no pushover.

So with reluctant acceptance that their sibling bond could not save them this time, they returned into the light of their welcoming home, regrettably leaving their sister and friend to walk in the shadows of the unknown.

And in the shadows she remained.

Her arms trembled, her legs shook, but still she pushed on into the night. Through twisted alleys and distorted hues of color that illuminated the flickering windows, her mind was nothing but an occupied blank of troubling dreams.

Holding tight to the bedtime story, she listened to distant sirens crying out. They only reminded her further of her failure.

"Once upon a time, there was a girl," her voice groaned. "She was small, innocent yet nothing stopped her." Her footsteps echoed down the streets. "In her mind, she believed she was the one; the one that could change everything in this world. So into a blind mirage, she wandered carelessly." She caressed flowers that hid in the pots on windowsills. A clap of thunder revealed them to be dead, shriveled back into the curtain of demise. She pulled back, yet frowned as she continued on her way.

"And then she met someone special, shinning above all." She smiled as she thought of him, mindlessly stroking the cover of the book gripped tightly in her hands. "A gentleman in disguise, a hero in the hiding, he was a gallant warrior hiding behind a criminal's veneer."

Her smile disappeared, nothing remained but the memory of a hopeless guise, and the distant look returned once more to her eyes. She did not notice nor did she recall as villainy encroached the town and indeed did it fall. In alleys, vulnerable prey were mugged while police stood by watching helplessly, guns aimed at their heads.

"But then she figured it out; the girl discovered the truth." Tears dripped from her eyes and she peered up at the sky with exhaustion staining her mind. "Life is no fairytale. There is no hero that will come riding on a white horse. And happily ever after..." She threw her book into a puddle and frowned, a tear dripping into the rippling mess. "Happily ever after doesn't exist!"

The cover blew open on a gust of wind, each individual page crying out in agony as they watched the ink of their sculpted words bleed. Their eyes shifted to the side, peering at the girl who crumbled to the ground, weeping.

The door to the shack crashed open on impact, attacking the wall behind it. Ace stepped inside, his boots drenched with rain. He ignored the beads of water that dripped from his hair and shoved the limited amount of furniture in his home away. The table, the chairs, the stack of cards; each one clattered to the ground.

He fell to the ground and leaned back, his body thudding against the wall. He cradled his head within his hands and he shook his head. "I thought you were different, kid," he panted. "I really thought you were different. I really wanted you to be different!" Tears burned his eyes and he pounded his fists against the wall. "Why couldn't you be different?" he yelled above the thunder raging outside.

His hands fell to the ground, landing on his jacket. When they did, he heard a crackle deep within his pockets. Searching around, he fished out a crumpled piece of paper that remained folded in half. He slid it open and immediately, his eyes widened. There were illustrations of the Gangreen Gang, Townsville, and Bubbles scattered across the page with captions dotting each one.

He slumped back and read the words aloud: "Once upon a time, there was a city in despair. Though Townsville had three superheroes to protect it, there was one amongst the group that was different from the rest." His eyes flipped to a drawing of a girl in a blue dress with blonde hair. "Even if the villains were considered evil, she could not accept that. She felt that there was a reason behind it all. And maybe, just maybe, their acts were of pain and not of evil." He laughed as he saw a drawing of the Gangreen Gang. "And so it was, through five special people, that the little girl proved to everyone that there was good in everyone and..."

The last caption caused tears to spill down his face. "…and that happily ever after really does exist…"

The rain drummed the tin rooftop above. He lightly kissed the drawing of the small girl with the blue dress and blonde hair. Sliding the paper against his chest, he squinted his eyes and whispered, "I'm sorry, kid."

**A/N**

**Aw, poor Ace and Bubbles…**

**Chapter 11 will be up soon!**


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N**

**Oh, this is a suspenseful chapter… enjoy!**

Snake, Big Billy, Lil Arturo, and Grubber each made their way through the city dump with frowns plaguing their faces. Their feet trampled through polluted puddles, leaving behind a path of hazy footprints.

"Duh…Big Billy is sad!" Big Billy wailed.

"Where do you think Ace is?" Lil Arturo wondered.

"He'ssss probably at the shack," Snake hissed.

Grubber blew a raspberry in solemn agreement.

Right as they were about to reach the shack, the door flew open. Ace ran out, right past them. He skidded to a stop when the members called after him.

"Where are you going?" Lil Arturo asked.

"I need to find Bubbles," Ace explained in a hurry. "I need to tell her I'm sorry!"

"But her ssssisters will beat you up," Snake said.

"They can do what they want," Ace waved him off. "I just need to talk to Bubbles. She gave me a chance and now I need to take my chances with her."

"Wait!"

Everyone froze, not recognizing the unfamiliar voice. They slowly turned and Ace lowered his sunglasses, eyeing his friend in disbelief. "Grubber?" he breathed. "Did you just talk?"

Grubber nodded, his posture no longer sloppy. He cleared his throat. "We are your friends, Ace," he said in a surprisingly poetic voice. "Let us accompany you and together we shall speak with Bubbles and her sisters."

Their mouths still hung agape but slowly, Ace recovered and nodded. "O-Okay, let's go!"

Grubber returned to normal, blew a raspberry, and along with the other members, followed Ace out of the city dump and headed towards the Powerpuff Girls' house.

Buttercup, along with Blossom, lay in their beds silently, staring up at the ceiling. The Professor had all ready read them their bedtime story, kissed them goodnight, and turned off the light. But still, they were wide awake. How could they relax? Their sister had not yet returned home and it was nearing ten o'clock.

"Where could she be?" Buttercup wondered. "And why isn't the Professor worried? It's been nearly four hours!"

Blossom had to admit: something was wrong. With her overprotective dad, it was a shock that he had not all ready called the police and filed a missing person report. But if he was so worrisome and Bubbles had still not returned, why hadn't he said anything yet?

"Maybe she's with Ace and the others," Buttercup shrugged. "They're probably just making up or something."

"I don't think so." Blossom scooted her legs over the edge of the bed and sat up. "Something's up. Let's go talk to the Professor." She was just about to flick the lamp on when she heard a _ping_. "Did you hear that?" she asked Buttercup.

"Shhh…" Buttercup hushed her. They waited a moment before it happened again. "It's coming from outside. Something's hitting the window."

Blossom creped over to the window and peeked over the sill. She was surprised to find the Gangreen Gang gathered down below. "The Gangreen Gang?" she said to herself before sliding the window open. "What are you guys doing here?"

Ace dropped his handful of pebbles and sighed. "I need to talk to Bubbles."

"Bubbles isn't with you?" Blossom asked, now even more worried.

Ace shook his head.

Blossom gasped and flew out of the room, directly to the Professor. She knocked quickly and instead of waiting for an invitation, kicked the door open. The Professor jumped, his eyes wide. He was seated at his desk with reading glasses perched on the end of his nose. He swiveled his chair around and said, "Blossom? What are you doing up? I thought you and Buttercup would be asleep by now."

"Where's Bubbles?" she panted. "She should have been home by now and she's not with the Gangreen Gang! Professor, what if something happened to her? It'll be all our fault! We let her go into the city alone. We should've—"

"Whoa, whoa, Blossom," he said, settling her down. "Bubbles is fine. She called and left a message saying that she was going to be spending the night with her friend, Marissa. She sounded quiet upset. I think this whole business with tonight really troubled her."

Blossom sighed a breath of relief. "Okay, Professor," she nodded. "As long as she's safe…" She was just about to leave, her hand ready to close the door, when she stopped. Facing her dad, she raised an eyebrow. "Wait. She's spending the night at who's house?"

"I believe she said her name was Marissa." He pointed to the phone resting on the nightstand beside his bed. "I saved the message if you want to listen to it."

And she did listen.

"H-Hi Professor," the message began, "it's me. I think I am going to spend the night with my friend, Marissa. I don't think I can come home right now after what happened. Please help me make up with Blossom and Buttercup tomorrow. If you don't, I will be in trouble. And make sure you read them the story about the forbidden tower. That is their favorite bedtime story. Goodbye."

The message was definitely from Bubbles, but something was wrong. Her voice was shaky, as if…

_As if she was afraid_.

"See?" the Professor said. "She's fine."

She played the message over and over again and each time she did, she picked up on subtle clues.

The message was different. It wasn't a simple reminder or informer; it had certain words that messages don't usually include. She said she couldn't come home. It wasn't that she couldn't; it was that she wasn't capable of it because she was trapped. And she asked the Professor to please help her make up with her sisters, yet she made sure to include the words please help me. Plus she said that if he didn't help her, she would be in trouble.

"And she said goodbye…" Blossom whispered.

"Blossom, I'm sure your sister is fine," her dad reassured her.

"No," Blossom sighed. "No, she's not."

"What do you mean?"

She dropped the phone, glaring up. "Bubbles doesn't have a friend named Marissa."

She left him no time to question her as she flew out of the room and back to Buttercup. She explained everything to her and by the time she was finished, Buttercup was all ready dressed and up.

"When I get my hands on the one that kidnapped her, I'm going to—!"

"Buttercup, wait. We may need help." Blossom walked over to the window. "Ace?"

He glanced up and shrugged. "Did you find out where she is?"

"Sort of, but we need your help."

Ace frowned.

"But we don't even know where she is," Buttercup exclaimed. "Where should we even begin to look for her?"

Blossom shrugged. "I don't know—" But then she remembered. At the very end of the message, Bubbles instructed the Professor to read them the bedtime story about the forbidden tower because it was their favorite. What did that mean. Perhaps it was a clue to her location. "But what villain lives in a tower?" she muttered to herself. "And it's our favorite?" She crossed her arms, deep in thought. "If it's our favorite than that means we would go there often, more than any other villain. But which villain have we dealt with that—"

And then she realized who it was that had kidnapped Bubbles.

**A/N**

**Don't worry Bubbles! Your knight in shining armor is coming to your rescue ;D hehe I think you BACE shippers (Bubbles x Ace) will enjoy what's coming up next!**


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N**

**It's a short chapter, but it's actually pretty emotional considering. I hope you like it and sorry for the late update. I have been busy lately and extremely tired XD. Enjoy! **

Her eyelids were heavy, too heavy. Every time she tried to open them, she found she lacked the strength. Why did her body ache so? Her throat was dry, the very flesh splitting into parched ravines. Sucking in a breath of air that ran like acid through her throat, she peeled her eyelids back and searched through the foggy film that covered her eyes.

Her arms and legs were bound. She could not move. A blinding light met her line of sight and sneered as it deepened its penetrating beam. When she spoke, it came in a faint groan.

A mocking snicker filled the room. She lifted her head shakily and sought to look past the light. The only sight that came into view was of that of a shadow.

"Poor little Bubbles," the voice taunted. "You were always too innocent to see that some people really are just evil. But that has been your downfall which is the falling of you. You have fallen to your knees and on your knees you shall remain! For I have brought you to the place you now reside, which is on your knees, and no other has! I am the one. The only one!"

The unique dialogue gave him away right away.

She squinted her eyes. "Why, Mojo?" she groaned. "Why did you do it?"

"Why? Because I am evil!" He laughed. "That little game you were playing on Ace will not work on me. You think he is so innocent, but he is probably laughing at you right now. Laughing like I am. Ha!"

Her head fell to the side as she nearly slipped unconscious, but she managed to remain awake. "Game? I wasn't playing a game at all. I really believe in him. Ace is my friend. He's—"

"Friend?"He shook his head. "You are even more naïve than I thought. If you believe that he was your friend. You, indeed, are foolish. He was never your friend, ally, acquaintance, or pal. He was merely using you because you are so usable. You let him into your home, even let him around your sisters. You are lucky that he did not take advantage of that. Imagine that: we villains have tried over and over again to rid this world of the Powerpuff Girls and yet, you invited a bad guy right into your very home! You came close to being the very reason of the downfall of the Powerpuff Girls! Irony is a funny thing, isn't it?"

"I don't care what you say!" she shouted. "Ace is my friend no matter what. I trust him and I know that he would never betray me. You may not understand that, but neither did my sisters. It doesn't mean that you are right, though!"

"Then tell me this sweet, little Bubbles: where is your friend now?"

Her eyes, once squinted in determination, fell along with her face. Her head dropped as she stared at the ground. He paced the floor, smiling at her defeat.

"Do you still believe in fairytales? Do you think he is going to come riding on a white horse, clad in silver armor?"

"No," she muttered, "I don't. He won't bring me my happily ever after. Ace—" She choked, a tear sliding down her cheek. "Ace isn't coming…" With the last word spoken, she fell limp as she fainted.

He laughed. "Perhaps Bubbles will now realize you can trust no one. " Mojo drummed his fingers together and smirked. Shoving a hand in his pocket, he pulled out a key. "Step one: capture Bubbles." He glanced over at the small girl who remained unconscious. "Check," he smiled devilishly. "Step two: obtain the key that goes to the box that gives the user incredible power. Check." He walked over to his window and peered down at the city of Townsville. "Step three: obtain the box." He snickered. "In progress..."

Footsteps pummeled the ground in a trampling heap. Someone stopped. In a puddle, with dripping tears of bleeding ink, a crumpled book rested. Hands wrapped around it and brought it up. Ace frowned. "I'm coming, Bubbles," he whispered. "Don't give up on me yet…"

**A/N**

**The next chapter will probably be the last. If not, then the chapter after that will. I hope you've enjoyed the story so far ^-^!**


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N **

**Okay, so this is not the last chapter. But the next one will be XD. This is a very emotional/dramatic chapter and I love the raw emotion in it. I think it played out perfectly…I hope ^-^ Enjoy!**

An owl hooted lowly, a reminder of the late hour. The rain still poured across the city of Townsville. A flap of the wings and the bird was drifting on the midnight air, rain dripping from its feathers. Ace watched it fly away.

"Free as a bird," he muttered. His hand fell to his pocket and withdrew the tattered storybook that he had found in the puddle. The moment he saw it, his heart shattered. It was a symbol that he could easily read; a sign that Bubbles had finally given up. "I just hope you didn't give up on me," he whispered.

From a distance, Blossom watched him. She parted ways with Buttercup, leaving her to walk beside the Gangreen Gang. Instead, she mimicked his path. He was so lost in thought, absorbed in the memories, that he did not hear her approach. It was only until she spoke that he faced her.

"That's Bubbles' story…isn't it?"

At first, he tried to hide it amongst the flaps of fabric of his jacket. But seeing it useless, he sighed and withdrew it once more, nodding in reply.

She had seen the book in the puddle while they were tracing the city streets on their way to Mojo's lair. Though, she did not pick it up because she was determined to recover her sister instead. She tilted her head. "So why did _you_ pick it up?" She was baffled, perplexed even. And this was not typical of Blossom. She could solve equations that challenged adults. She could identify the weakness of an opponent merely by observing the way they moved, the way they talked. But for the life of her, she could not uncover the reason as to why Ace had kept Bubbles' bedtime story.

Instead of answering her, he shook his head. "I made a mistake, Blossom." He did not want to confide in her, but he felt that he should since she was listening to him all ready. If he could have chosen, it would have been Bubbles. "I hurt her. I just left her in the rain, completely alone." He shivered as he recalled the thought. The aching plea plaguing her eyes, her small body shivering in the rain… "I-I should've been there for her. She was there for me and I let her down!"

Blossom stepped forward, trying to console him. "Ace—"

"I should have been everything she needed me to be!"

Blossom stared at him, frozen. She stopped, no longer walking. Ace too had absentmindedly stopped walking as he shook his head.

"She tried to prove to me that I wasn't what everyone thought I was. She tried to convince me that it wasn't out of pure evil that I did all those things, that I was just hurt. Do you know she was the first person to see me cry?" He wiped his face of the raindrops trickling down, but it made no difference. The storm was pounding the earth with a merciless wave that drenched everything and everyone. "She's a superhero. She's supposed to beat guys like me up and put us in jail. She's supposed to hate me! But instead, she's been the only person that has ever taken the time to actually give me a chance. She listened to me, she laughed with me, and that smile…" His hand clenched his forehead. "Gosh, that smile…I've never seen anything like it. No one has ever been that happy near me. The last person I saw smiling at me was my mom and that was on the day she left me." He fell back and leaned against a tree. "It felt so wonderful to see a smile that beautiful again. But at the same time, it hurt so badly. I usually tried to ignore the fact that I didn't have parents growing up, but when me and Bubbles were walking in the park just talking, I was so happy." He smiled through the tears raining across his face. "I would do anything to see that happiness again. I would do anything to see Bubbles again."

Blossom bent down beside him. "I-I…" But she could not say anything. How was she to respond?

Ace faced her. "All she wanted was to believe that fairytales were real. I know they aren't, but would it have killed me to let her believe that they were just for a little longer? She wanted an adventure. She wanted a friend. She wanted a knight in shining armor to come rescue her from reality and tell her that yeah, there is evil in this world, but not everyone is." He stared down at the ground. "I just want to make her as happy as she made me…"

She had never seen Ace this way. Actually, she had never seen any villain this way. There he sat, rain dripping from his hair and down his face. His eyes begged her for an answer, begged her to say something; anything that would end this pain. She looked down at his hands, the book resting between his grasp. She slipped it away and flipped through the sodden pages. Each illustration was expected: the ferocious beast guarding a forlorn castle. The princess eagerly awaiting her day of freedom. The gallant prince slaying the fiend and saving the princess. And of course, the bold letters at the very end. The bold statement that cried out.

_And they all lived happily ever after…_

A tear dripped down her cheek as she smiled bitterly. "You were right, Bubbles," she whispered and looked up at Ace. "Maybe there is a little good in everyone…" She handed him the book. "We _will_ find her, Ace," she said. "And we _are_ going to save her."

He frowned, shaking his head.

"And Ace?"

His eyes glanced up at her.

"You're going to give her the happily ever after she has always dreamed of."

After a while, he nodded but a shattering ring broke the air. Everyone faced the city.

"It's coming from the museum!" Buttercup said. "Someone must be robbing it again."

"But we don't have time," Blossom frowned. "We have to save Bubbles."

"You find Bubbles. I'll deal with that and then meet up with you guys."

Blossom nodded and Buttercup flew off in the direction of the museum. "We don't have much time," she said. "We need to hurry!"

Bubbles moaned as she slowly came to. She clenched her hands and immediately realized that she was still restrained. She pulled and tugged, but it was no use. She was held fast.

Breathing in deeply, she gathered her strength and forced beams of heat out of her eyes. It burned into the restraints, cutting through slowly. With each passing second, her body shook harder and harder as her strength faded. She gasped, the rays of heat disintegrating. Panting, she focused once more and aimed at the chains again. Finally, the strap on her left hand broke free. She fell forward, losing her balance, but remained upright as the ties around her right hand and ankles held her up.

Sucking in a gasp of breath, she squinted her eyes and began again. This time, the beam shot out and cut through the band around her right wrist. Through much trouble and work, she collapsed to the ground. She struggled to catch her breath as she stood up slowly. She crossed the room and glared out the window.

"I may not believe in fairytales anymore, Mojo," Bubbles whispered, "but I do still believe this: all stories have to have an ending."

The Gangreen Gang and Blossom were quickly approaching Mojo's lair, the sight of the tower drawing near. A clap of thunder illuminated each crack, every crevice of the towering mountain. The large lens at the top reflected the moon that hid behind the clouds, shivering as it foresaw the great battle that was about to occur.

"Mojo may have Bubbles, but we have something he doesn't have," Blossom whispered to the others, scanning the area for anyone approaching, "we have the element of surprise. Let's keep it that way and save Bubbles."

"What about Buttercup?" Lil Arturo asked.

"She said she'll catch up," Ace said. "There's no time to wait. We need to save Bubbles now."

"Right," Blossom nodded. "Okay, here's the plan. Ace, I want you—" But she stopped as she heard distant hollers. She listened for a moment before facing the ominous empty streets. The cries echoed throughout, becoming louder and louder as they approached. She peered into the darkness and saw not one, but two figures coming closer; one by foot and one by air.

"Mo—...got… —ox… Quick—" The statement came in bits and pieces and Blossom could only manage to hear scraps of it.

And then she saw Buttercup. But who was she chasing? She was pointing, yelling. Why was she so frantic?

Her face turned white.

"Oh no…" she whispered.

"Mojo's got the box!" Buttercup warned. "Quickly! Take it from him now, before it's too late!"

Mojo chortled as he continued running. Indeed, he did have the box; the box that gave its user incredible power. He pulled a glistening stick of gold from his pocket and sneered with triumph.

It was the key.

"Oh no, Buttercup. That is where you are wrong." Mojo laughed. "It is all ready too late!"

**A/N**

**Oh, Ace! Don't worry, you'll be the perfect knight in shining armor for Bubbles ;D. I hope you liked it! Chapter 14 will be up shortly! **


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N **

**The final chapter has arrived! *drum roll* This story has definitely been one heck of a ride XD I hope you liked it and thank you for reading ^-^ Enjoy!**

Mojo chortled madly, holding the box up to mock his opponents.

"We need to get that box away from him," Blossom yelled, "before he unlocks it!"

Buttercup growled and swooped down, fists outstretched. Her knuckles dug into his side, throwing him to the ground. The box popped out of his grasp and skidded across the pavement, leaving deep scrap wounds in the pavement. Blossom flew low to the ground and was ready to retrieve the box when a blast of energy knocked her back. Smoke hissed from his gun and Mojo laughed, snatching the box off the ground.

"I'm afraid it will not be that easy," he spat.

"Ace, go find Bubbles," Blossom said, rays shooting out of her eyes and frying Mojo. "We'll deal with him. We can't afford to have him holding something over our heads. If he threatens Bubbles, then we'll have to surrender. Hurry!"

Ace nodded and faced the Gangreen Gang. "You guys help the Powerpuff Girls in any way you can. I don't care what it takes; just make sure Townsville doesn't fall under the control of that mad monkey!" He was running towards the tower when Snake called after him.

"Doesss that mean they aren't our enemiesss anymore?" he hissed.

"That's what I'm saying," Ace said before throwing the door open to Mojo's lair, leaving the Girls and the Gang to fight Mojo.

Staircase after staircase, hallway after hallway; he weaved in and out, up and down the maze-like building in search of Bubbles. At the very top room, he spotted a closet labeled ARSENARY, a seat perched behind a large control panel, and a window that overlooked Townsville. The last thing he spotted sent a wave of nausea through his stomach: a large circle was melded to the wall with various straps and chains hanging loosely. When he bent over to examine the pile of remains resting on the floor just beneath the restraints, he pulled his hand away and gasped.

It was clumps of blonde hair.

He shook his head and backed away, ready to leave the room to search for her somewhere else. But just as he was about to turn around, he was thrown to the ground. Someone sat atop him and grabbed his arms, pulling them backwards. He cried out in pain and tried to glare up at his opponent. His face dropped immediately in surprise, and then he smiled.

"Take that, Mojo!" Bubbles screeched.

"Bubbles!" Ace said, ignoring the pain. "You're alive!"

"Begging for mercy won't save you now—wait. Ace?" She leaned down and he groaned in pain again. She gasped. "Oh, I'm sorry!" She hopped off and helped him up. "I thought you were Mojo."

He cracked his back and shivered at the aching pierce. "Yeah," he breathed, "I kind of figured that when you attacked me and called me Mojo."

"What are you doing here? I didn't think you would come for me." She scuffed her foot against the ground and peered down. "I-I thought you were still mad at me."

"Hey," he said, resting his hands on her shoulders. "No matter what I said when I left you, I didn't mean a word of it."

"But I shouldn't have told Blossom and Buttercup about your parents," she whimpered. "I was just trying to help. I thought that if I told them, that they would—"

She gasped as he cut her off and his arms tightened around her in an embrace.

"It doesn't matter anymore," he said. "The past is the past. But this is the present and if we don't save it, we aren't going to have much of a future."

She peered out the window and looked down at the city which was ablaze in flames. Blossom and Buttercup attacked Mojo with laser eyebeams while the Gangreen Gang threw various objects at him. She nodded at Ace and flew towards the wall of the lair, fists outstretched. Ace whistled slowly as he watched the half of the lair fall to the ground with a deafening crash.

"Note to self," he muttered, "never anger Bubbles."

"Come on!" she said, grabbing hold of Ace and flying down into the midst of the battle.

Blossom and Buttercup flew into the air and grasped hands, a ball of energy forming around them. Mojo shot a beam out of his gun at the Gang, throwing them back. Light flicked across the streets and Mojo peered up. He sneered and shoved the key into the box. As soon as he did, the lid opened and a red aura surrounded his body. He laughed wickedly and glared up at Blossom and Buttercup. Immediately they fell to the ground, the energy they had gathered dissolving. Buttercup got up and ran, jumping into the air only to fall again.

"Hey, what gives?" Buttercup growled. "I can't use my powers!"

Blossom targeted Mojo and tried to zap him with laser eye vision, but nothing happened. "I can't either," she said. The two sisters faced Mojo who remained laughing.

"Thanks to this," he said, pointing at the box, "you can't use any of your powers! You are defenseless, meaning you are weak, unprotected, and powerless! I have commanded this to steal the very thing that makes you superheroes! Ha!" A ray shot out from the box and threw the Girls to the ground. A red beam wrapped across them, pinning them down. They struggled and fought, yet nothing worked. They were stuck.

"And now," he grinned, standing over them, "I will take it all away permanently. I will rid your bodies of the very substance that gives you your incredible powers: Chemical X!" Their struggles grew more frantic when they heard this. Their arms, legs, everything; nothing would budge. "No use fighting the inevitable," he smirked. "Your destiny has been chosen. I will write the course of your future. Your end comes now!"

"Hey!"

"Huh?" He turned around in time to see Bubbles and Ace flying straight towards him.

"Leave my sisters alone!"

With Bubbles holding onto him, Ace snatched the box out of Mojo's hands. The red beam running across Buttercup and Blossom faded and they regained their powers. Immediately, they joined up with Bubbles. They held each other tightly and sighed in relief. They giggled, but stopped as a ray shot right past them. They faced Mojo who held a gun, panting.

"If you think it is over that easily, you are wrong," he hissed. "That is incorrect. That is untrue. That is false!"

"Give it up, Mojo," Blossom said, crossing her arms. "We have the box which means _you_ are powerless!"

"But you cannot operate it without this!" He held up the key, grinning triumphantly.

Ace peered down at the box in Bubbles' grasp and saw the absence of the key. "Shoot," he muttered. "What am I saying?" he said, shaking his head. "You guys are superheroes! You don't need some stupid box to win this. You've defeated this crazy chimp before and you can do it again!"

"That is correct."

Everyone, even Mojo, gasped and stared at Grubber. His posture was straight, his eyes no longer protruded from his head, and he actually appeared somewhat normal. He cleared his throat and spoke once again. "You are sisters and with this special bond, you shall defeat this twisted menace. Justice will prevail just as your love for one another has. Together, you will bring a new light upon Townsville which currently resides in a shadowy pit of anguish."

"Whoa," Mojo breathed.

Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup each blinked, mouths hanging. They recovered and looked at one another before smiling deviously. Bubbles flew over to Ace. "Would you hold this for a minute?" she asked, handing him the box. Gritting her teeth, she and her sisters raced towards Mojo.

Ace pulled up a slab of broken concrete and sat down along with the other Gangreen members. Big Billy pulled out popcorn and they each munched away as flashes of light and explosions flicked across. Mojo screamed in pain, the sight of his shadow being tossed around appearing. "No! Please! I didn't—Ouch! Please, Girls, it was just a—that hurts! No, w-wait. Not that! Anything but that!"

The Gangreen Gang watched with wide eyes, lips poked out. An explosion of blinding light erupted and the members jumped back as they shielded themselves. When it faded, the sunglasses fell from Ace's face.

Bubbles, Blossom, and Buttercup panted, black soot marking their skin. Mojo rested on the ground in a mangled, twisted heap with his tongue hanging out the corner of his mouth.

"Note to self," Ace muttered to the Gang, "never anger the Powerpuff Girls…" He laughed and faced the Girls in time to see Bubbles tackle him to the ground.

She giggled. "I knew you would come save me!" She jumped back when she leaned on something jutting from his pocket. Pulling it out, she blinked in surprise. "Isn't this my bedtime story?" He nodded meekly.

"Bubbles, I know I said I wanted you guys to stay away from me but—"

She grabbed his face and gently kissed him on the cheek. He stopped talking immediately. "The past is the past, right?"

He blinked, but smiled.

"I knew you would come," she whispered. "I knew that every story had a knight in shining armor." She hugged him tightly. "And I knew that fairytales could be real."

He pulled her back and rubbed the soot off of her face. "_You_ are my happily ever after…"

Buttercup gagged. "Okay, before I barf let's get out of here," she said to Blossom.

She and Bubbles giggled, but Blossom frowned. "We can't leave yet. We still have to find out what to do with Mojo." He groaned in pain but at the mention of his name, he struggled to crawl away. Bubbles scooped the key out of his pocket and shoved it into the box. A ray shot out and zapped Mojo who squeaked in surprise. He shrunk down in size, dropping to the ground smaller than a quarter.

"Oh, isn't he cute?" Bubbles giggled, holding him in her hands. Mojo growled and beat his hands against her hand. "I know just what to do with him," she smiled.

Mojo groaned and grasped his head. "Oh, what happened?" He stretched his arms back, but was surprised when they hit something. His eyes widened and he screamed.

Bubbles, Buttercup, and Blossom all laughed. Mojo was stuck inside a hamster cage resting on their dresser.

"Oh, shut up!" Buttercup demanded, flicking a leaf of lettuce in. The leaf pinned him to the ground, muffling his cries.

Blossom sighed in exhaustion and flopped onto a beanbag chair. "It's finally over," she said, relieved, "isn't it?"

"No," Buttercup laughed, "there will be other morons that try the same thing."

"But we'll be there to stop them!" Bubbles smiled.

A whistle came in through the window. Bubbles peered down and smiled.

"You want to go play some video games down at the mini-mart?" Ace smirked.

She faced her sisters, eyes pleading.

"Go enjoy yourself," Blossom smiled. "You've earned it."

"Yeah, but don't go getting mixed up with crazy psychos that want to take over Townsville," Buttercup warned.

"Don't worry," Bubbles reassured her as she flew out the window and landed beside Ace. "The hero of the story is never the villain."

_**And they all lived happily ever after…**_

**A/N**

**Aw! That was so cute! **

**One of my favorite parts was when the Girls were dealing with Mojo. With all of the explosions and flickers of light, you can only imagine what they put him through XD And now the crazy chimp is going to live in a hamster cage on their dresser ^-^**

**I hope you liked the story! Thank you for reading and plan to see more stories with Bubbles and Ace ;D**


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